The subject invention relates generally to the field of screen printing and, more specifically, to an apparatus for printing cylindrical objects by means of a squeegee and bottle support which are mounted on a single carriage on either side of a fixed printing screen for unitary movement therealong to print such objects in a compact stroke.
Many existing screen printing presses for the printing of conical or cylindrical-shaped objects, include a fixed squeegee under which a printing screen moves in unison with the rotation of the object to be printed. More advanced cylindrical or conical screen printers having fixed squeegees may include adjustable drive means to vary the speed of the movable screen to correspond with the rotational movement of objects having different diameters, for uniform application of print.
It has been found that a problem of obtaining uniform registration of the screen and cylindrical object to be printed, such as a bottle, may occur in such machines having a movable screen with adjustable drive means. Not only must the bottle be registered in the same position relative to the screen at the beginning of each print stroke, but the rate of movement of the screen relative to the bottle rotation must be identical for each bottle to assure uniform print location and clarity. As is apparent, such machines require an adjustment of the timing of the drive mechanism for each different diameter bottle printed, and additional adjustments may be necessary. Such adjustments lengthen set-up time of the press from job to job, and if done improperly, could result in non-uniform registration of the printed material on the object.